This week's sono check up went well! I remembered to ask what the score from last week was and was told it was 8/8, the best we can get. Today it was the same. It went very quickly today, the tech found everything she needed to see right away, so I was out of there and back on the road in 20 min.s
Aidan again went to the office (earned $2 shredding paper today!) and Sean went over to one of my friend's house. Unfortunately Sean didn't adjust to being there as well as we hoped. He refused to eat his lunch, but did enjoy being rocked to sleep for a nap. I woke him up when I got there and he ate when we got home.
I have a regular OB appt on Monday next week and another BPP on Thursday. I need to remember to take some CDs next time, it's sad that we only keep kid's CDs in the van. Sorry, but I'm not listening to The Wiggles if I don't have to!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Thank You, Mystery Person!
A few weeks ago, we started getting 2 kids magazines (Humpty Dumpty's Magazine)in the mail- one addressed to Sean and one for Aidan. I don't know how we got on the mailing, but the boys love them. I guess Aidan has been missing "school work" because he sits down with one of these and does all the activities he can right away. Sean enjoys coloring and them and looking at the photos with us.
So whomever you are... THANKS!
Edited to Add: A ha!! Found out where they came from! Nana fessed up. Thanks, Nana!
So whomever you are... THANKS!
Edited to Add: A ha!! Found out where they came from! Nana fessed up. Thanks, Nana!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Making Progress
Doug commented today that I haven't taken a photo lately of his deck progress. This weekend he started installing the Trex flooring and today we had lots of helpers. It's coming along! He is hoping to have a Deck Is Done party on the 4th, so we will see if we get there. Aidan and Mackenzie are wearing tie dye tshirts that the three of us made the night before. Cuties!
For fun, here's Doug and Aidan (age 20 months) working on our last deck, at our old house.
And in case you have a big belly fetish, like my husband, here's my summer project progress!
For comparison, here I am pregnant with Sean at 35 weeks.
For fun, here's Doug and Aidan (age 20 months) working on our last deck, at our old house.
And in case you have a big belly fetish, like my husband, here's my summer project progress!
For comparison, here I am pregnant with Sean at 35 weeks.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Family Reunion in West Virginia
We've been home almost two weeks and I finally have a chance to upload some trip photos! We took a vacation to Wheeling, West Virginia, with Doug's parents, his brother and our neice in the family RV. My FIL, Larry, planned the trip as an opportunity to meet with his cousins and give us a chance to meet the East Coast side of the family. We took two days to drive there, then all stayed at a 7 bedroom chalet for the week with the extended family. Wheeling is a beautiful town and we all had a wonderful time with the family.
A few pics from the drive there.
Deer are abundant in Wheeling, here's one in front of our chalet.
The little water fall near where we stayed.
Doug hauled us around the lake in a paddle boat one morning.
Everyone got out to play golf atleast once, we even took Sean out for putt putt!
Hiking some short trails.
Uncle Curt and Kenzie got some fire pits going a few nights, so Aidan made his first smores.
Cousin Debbie, former Broadway dancer, taught our neice Mackanzie several little show tunes dances & they preformed for everyone.
Then Aidan and Sean did a couple of songs.
And the highlight of the trip for the boys, playing with Cousin Jason's dog, Rocky.
A few pics from the drive there.
Deer are abundant in Wheeling, here's one in front of our chalet.
The little water fall near where we stayed.
Doug hauled us around the lake in a paddle boat one morning.
Everyone got out to play golf atleast once, we even took Sean out for putt putt!
Hiking some short trails.
Uncle Curt and Kenzie got some fire pits going a few nights, so Aidan made his first smores.
Cousin Debbie, former Broadway dancer, taught our neice Mackanzie several little show tunes dances & they preformed for everyone.
Then Aidan and Sean did a couple of songs.
And the highlight of the trip for the boys, playing with Cousin Jason's dog, Rocky.
First Biophysical Profile
I went in for my first BPP today and it went really well. Got in and out quickly, so I was home in less than 3 hours. A BPP is a test using ultrasound to measure four things about the baby & gives each part a score up to 2 points:
1. amount of amniotic fluid
2. heart rate & respiratory signs
3. fine motor movement
4. gross motor movement
In our case, they are also checking the condition of the placenta. I asked the tech if I could have a print of the placental lake (the concern my Drs are watching) and was told no, that those are diagnostic images and not for patients. I asked if she could point it out to me, so I could see it for myself & she did. I said, "Wow, its bigger than I thought." It looked to be roughly the same size as Ella's foot. The tech said "I've seen bigger." Ella's heart rate was 144, perfectly normal. The tech said I had plenty of fluid. She saw Ella kick, wiggle and curl her toes, so movement was perfect. She gave me a blurry pic of a foot and a poor shot of Ella's face. Ella wasn't interested in looking at the transducer today, so we didn't get to see her face very well. Maybe next time!
Sean stayed home with my friend Ellie and her 2 1/2 yr old son Hans. They had a great time playing together! Sean skipped his nap, so he had an early bedtime tonight. Aidan went to the office with Doug and earned his paycheck shredding paper.
Doug got our photoshop program working again, so I am hoping to edit our vacation photos to share here. I'll have to see if Aidan will let me use the computer long enough or not. ;)
Nite all!
1. amount of amniotic fluid
2. heart rate & respiratory signs
3. fine motor movement
4. gross motor movement
In our case, they are also checking the condition of the placenta. I asked the tech if I could have a print of the placental lake (the concern my Drs are watching) and was told no, that those are diagnostic images and not for patients. I asked if she could point it out to me, so I could see it for myself & she did. I said, "Wow, its bigger than I thought." It looked to be roughly the same size as Ella's foot. The tech said "I've seen bigger." Ella's heart rate was 144, perfectly normal. The tech said I had plenty of fluid. She saw Ella kick, wiggle and curl her toes, so movement was perfect. She gave me a blurry pic of a foot and a poor shot of Ella's face. Ella wasn't interested in looking at the transducer today, so we didn't get to see her face very well. Maybe next time!
Sean stayed home with my friend Ellie and her 2 1/2 yr old son Hans. They had a great time playing together! Sean skipped his nap, so he had an early bedtime tonight. Aidan went to the office with Doug and earned his paycheck shredding paper.
Doug got our photoshop program working again, so I am hoping to edit our vacation photos to share here. I'll have to see if Aidan will let me use the computer long enough or not. ;)
Nite all!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Oh tartar sauce....
I had a regular prenatal appt with my OB today & my first NST. The NST went well, but when I met with my OB she said that she thinks it would be best if I went to Wichita for weekly biophysical profiles instead of just having the NSTs in her office. She feels that would give them a better chance to watch growth and the placenta issue. Shit. So the nurse gave me a list of appts there up until July 17- when I can finally get in to see the specialist again. The nurse and my Dr apologized for difficulties get information to me last week.
Best case scenario is that they will get to see the placenta issue resolve itself and disappear. Second best- it stays the same. Worst case is it gets bigger, causes problems to the baby.
I asked her if she thought my chances of carrying to term were good and she thinks they are. They just have no way of telling if it is caused by a partial abruption or not, so they have to keep a close eye on it. I am fluctuating between feeling hopeful that I can carry to term and have a natural childbirth when Ella is ready to be born and feeling defeated like I need to come to accept that it will be an induced labor and I'll end up getting an epidural because the pitocin kicks my butt.
I am going to call a friend of mine from LLL to see if she can keep my boys for the Wichita appts. I also, of course, still have to see my OB for prenatal appts., but Doug can help me with the local appts. Fingers crossed that all that works out!
Thanks again for all the support through this rough pregnancy. It's amazing that physically it hasn't been too bad, but emotionally it has really taken a toll on me.
Best case scenario is that they will get to see the placenta issue resolve itself and disappear. Second best- it stays the same. Worst case is it gets bigger, causes problems to the baby.
I asked her if she thought my chances of carrying to term were good and she thinks they are. They just have no way of telling if it is caused by a partial abruption or not, so they have to keep a close eye on it. I am fluctuating between feeling hopeful that I can carry to term and have a natural childbirth when Ella is ready to be born and feeling defeated like I need to come to accept that it will be an induced labor and I'll end up getting an epidural because the pitocin kicks my butt.
I am going to call a friend of mine from LLL to see if she can keep my boys for the Wichita appts. I also, of course, still have to see my OB for prenatal appts., but Doug can help me with the local appts. Fingers crossed that all that works out!
Thanks again for all the support through this rough pregnancy. It's amazing that physically it hasn't been too bad, but emotionally it has really taken a toll on me.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Girl Sanctuary
Well, there's nothing better than a medical scare to light a fire under this momma's rear end! I finally finished the nursery, I can't wait to sleep here tonight!
We lightly used this crib when Sean was a baby, so it's still in great shape. The dresser was one my Grandma had & she painted on it in 1967.
I painted this dresser when I was pregnant with Aidan. It was Doug's Grandma D's dresser.
These are doll dresses made by my Great Grandma and Grandma Eleanor. I loved playing with them when I was a girl!
My mom made this blanket for Ella, using yarn that matched the room. Since crib bumpers and quilts are a SIDS hazzard, I see no reason to buy them. We get a lot of use out of my mom's blankies.
Doug's Grandma M made this growth chart when he was a toddler. It's so neat to see how big Doug was at ages similar to our boys.
The pictures/art in the room are a collection of images from our family or marriage. It's like being surrounded by family and memories, very cozy!
We lightly used this crib when Sean was a baby, so it's still in great shape. The dresser was one my Grandma had & she painted on it in 1967.
I painted this dresser when I was pregnant with Aidan. It was Doug's Grandma D's dresser.
These are doll dresses made by my Great Grandma and Grandma Eleanor. I loved playing with them when I was a girl!
My mom made this blanket for Ella, using yarn that matched the room. Since crib bumpers and quilts are a SIDS hazzard, I see no reason to buy them. We get a lot of use out of my mom's blankies.
Doug's Grandma M made this growth chart when he was a toddler. It's so neat to see how big Doug was at ages similar to our boys.
The pictures/art in the room are a collection of images from our family or marriage. It's like being surrounded by family and memories, very cozy!
Friday, June 13, 2008
News at last!
Finally got a call!!!
They said the plan is that I need to go to my local Dr for weekly non-stress tests and a follow up sono at the specialist's office in 3 wks. I am to do daily kick counts and call if there is not enough movement or if I have bleeding/cramping. The person I talked to today told me that what was found is a pocket of fluid behind the placenta. Could be from a partial abruption. I haven't had any bleeding whatsoever this pregnancy, so this is pretty surprising.
I'm relieved that we don't need to make weekly trips to the specialist's and hope that all continues to go well.
They said the plan is that I need to go to my local Dr for weekly non-stress tests and a follow up sono at the specialist's office in 3 wks. I am to do daily kick counts and call if there is not enough movement or if I have bleeding/cramping. The person I talked to today told me that what was found is a pocket of fluid behind the placenta. Could be from a partial abruption. I haven't had any bleeding whatsoever this pregnancy, so this is pretty surprising.
I'm relieved that we don't need to make weekly trips to the specialist's and hope that all continues to go well.
Partial Update
So, I decided I was totally pissed at 5 last night because I still hadn't been called. I called the nurse on call, who is the one that I've been talking with, and said you have got to tell me something today! I told her I was losing sleep and had a lot of family & friends concerned about us. She said that the specialist called the office at 4:30 and spoke with my Dr's partner. My Dr's partner will relay that canversation to my Dr (who is still out of state on vacation) and I will get a call today with some idea on how they want to manage my care.
I asked if the specialist's sono showed the same concern they had & if so what is it? She said yes, they did find the same problem. It is an area of the placenta that is not functioning properly. At this time, it is small and does not appear to be causing complications to the baby. They want the specialist to tell them if I need weekly sonos to keep an eye on it, to make sure that the baby continues to grow on schedule or if they can just rely on fundal measurements/heart tones. If she recommends regular sonos, they want me to get them done at her office, where she can evaluate them.
The reason they would want to follow it so closely is to catch it before it causes damage (either heart failure due to lack of blood flow, or growth delays due to restricted nutrients.) If it does get worse, they would want me to deliver early- prior to 37 wks & I will have to deliver in Wichita & the baby will go to NICU there. I understand the reason to be cautious, but I am hoping that since she is doing so well now that they can take a less aggressive approach. I have to factor about 4 hrs per appt if they are in Wichita, plus budget the $30 for gas per trip. Since the boys are on summer break, I'd have to find childcare for them (Doug can't take that much time off of work and the 2 of them at the office make it impossible for him to work.) I guess we will adapt and do what we can, obviously her well being is a priority.
I need at least six more weeks of baby growing time!!!
I asked if the specialist's sono showed the same concern they had & if so what is it? She said yes, they did find the same problem. It is an area of the placenta that is not functioning properly. At this time, it is small and does not appear to be causing complications to the baby. They want the specialist to tell them if I need weekly sonos to keep an eye on it, to make sure that the baby continues to grow on schedule or if they can just rely on fundal measurements/heart tones. If she recommends regular sonos, they want me to get them done at her office, where she can evaluate them.
The reason they would want to follow it so closely is to catch it before it causes damage (either heart failure due to lack of blood flow, or growth delays due to restricted nutrients.) If it does get worse, they would want me to deliver early- prior to 37 wks & I will have to deliver in Wichita & the baby will go to NICU there. I understand the reason to be cautious, but I am hoping that since she is doing so well now that they can take a less aggressive approach. I have to factor about 4 hrs per appt if they are in Wichita, plus budget the $30 for gas per trip. Since the boys are on summer break, I'd have to find childcare for them (Doug can't take that much time off of work and the 2 of them at the office make it impossible for him to work.) I guess we will adapt and do what we can, obviously her well being is a priority.
I need at least six more weeks of baby growing time!!!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Waiting sucks
I'm back from our vacation- it actually went rather well. The only problem was that Wednesday afternoon, I was woken from a nap with a phone call from my OBs office regarding the appt I had Friday before we left. The radiologist read my sono pics and determined that there appears to be something restricting blood flow from the placenta to the umbilical cord. The nurse said the Dr was concerned enough to get me an immediate appt with the MFE for Thursday (as in the next day.) I explained that I was in WV and could not get there that fast. Of course, I was panicing and thinking, maybe I need to look into a flight home or see if there is someone in WV I can get into see asap. They decided it would be okay for me to wait until Monday, the day after we returned, to go to the MFE.
We started driving back Saturday and got trapped in the flood detours across Indiana, so we didn't make it as far as we hoped. Sunday, I was stressing that we'd hit more road delays since the entire midwest was saturated. Luckily we got home Sunday evening.
My mom drove down to go with Doug and I to my appt because she was sick with worry for us. We got there and the first thing they told us was we needed to plan when I'd be coming in for my weekly sonos and appts for the rest of the pg! I was like, "WHAT!?!!" So I called my OBs office and they said it wasn't necessary to do that unless their sono confirmed a problem. So we had the sono, very long & extensive. It was like an echocardiogram- it showed the path of blood flow from the placenta to the cord, thru the placenta, thru the cord, thru the baby's tummy, and thru her brain. The tech can't tell us shit, the MFE has to read the images and write a report to send to my OB. So we didn't get any news one way or the other at the appt, but was told our OB should have the report in 24 hrs.
Today, I called 2x to see if they had it yet (btw, my OB is on vacation this week) and finally the nurse got ahold of the MFE office at 3:30 and was told "it's on the top of her stack, she should get to it today and you'll have the report tomorrow." Once she sends the report to my OBs office, her partner will read it & tell the nurse what to tell us. Ugh!!! I am going crazy waiting. Can't sleep....
I am trying to stay reassured because baby Ella looked so good on the sono, she even gained 8 oz since the one a week ago. She's measuring ahead on my OBs due date by a week. She's had hicups 2x in the past week. I keep having this sense of panic that I need to finish the baby's room, wash up her diapers and clothes and buy the remaining things we need asap. Of course, at 30-31 weeks, she'd have to be delivered in the hospital an hour away and would spend at least a month in NICU before she came home. My mind is figuring out where I can stay there so I can be close enough to see her every day. How will we manage the boys if I deliver preterm?
I just don't want to think about it. Worse of all, I just don't want to think about losing her. I can't imagine it.
We started driving back Saturday and got trapped in the flood detours across Indiana, so we didn't make it as far as we hoped. Sunday, I was stressing that we'd hit more road delays since the entire midwest was saturated. Luckily we got home Sunday evening.
My mom drove down to go with Doug and I to my appt because she was sick with worry for us. We got there and the first thing they told us was we needed to plan when I'd be coming in for my weekly sonos and appts for the rest of the pg! I was like, "WHAT!?!!" So I called my OBs office and they said it wasn't necessary to do that unless their sono confirmed a problem. So we had the sono, very long & extensive. It was like an echocardiogram- it showed the path of blood flow from the placenta to the cord, thru the placenta, thru the cord, thru the baby's tummy, and thru her brain. The tech can't tell us shit, the MFE has to read the images and write a report to send to my OB. So we didn't get any news one way or the other at the appt, but was told our OB should have the report in 24 hrs.
Today, I called 2x to see if they had it yet (btw, my OB is on vacation this week) and finally the nurse got ahold of the MFE office at 3:30 and was told "it's on the top of her stack, she should get to it today and you'll have the report tomorrow." Once she sends the report to my OBs office, her partner will read it & tell the nurse what to tell us. Ugh!!! I am going crazy waiting. Can't sleep....
I am trying to stay reassured because baby Ella looked so good on the sono, she even gained 8 oz since the one a week ago. She's measuring ahead on my OBs due date by a week. She's had hicups 2x in the past week. I keep having this sense of panic that I need to finish the baby's room, wash up her diapers and clothes and buy the remaining things we need asap. Of course, at 30-31 weeks, she'd have to be delivered in the hospital an hour away and would spend at least a month in NICU before she came home. My mind is figuring out where I can stay there so I can be close enough to see her every day. How will we manage the boys if I deliver preterm?
I just don't want to think about it. Worse of all, I just don't want to think about losing her. I can't imagine it.